Coronavirus business update: Latest news across the North West
A Cheshire biomed campus is involved in a new push to defeat coronavirus.
Medicines Discovery Catapult, at Alderley Edge, is involved in a joint collaboration with Oncimmune Holdings which been awarded funding from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Ideas to Address COVID-19′ scheme to deliver the Immunity Profiling of Patients with COVID-19 for Therapy and Triage (IMPACTT) programme.
The collaboration will focus on enabling better treatment selection for patients according to their immune profile.
The IMPACTT programme will collect samples and clinical data from 3,000 UK COVID-19 patients to be studied by Oncimmune to develop and validate an Infectious Disease NavigAID panel of biomarkers that can be used in COVID-19 research.
This research tool will be designed to predict both likely patient response to the virus and effectiveness of vaccines and treatment against it.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “The UK is leading the way on research to find effective treatments for COVID-19 and through innovative clinical partnerships we can continue to improve our understanding of the specific risk factors associated with this new virus.”
Business Secretary Alok Sharma said: “By backing this pioneering project, we are ensuring that the best therapeutic approaches can be offered to the right patients at the right time.”
Prof Chris Molloy, chief executive at Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC), said: “Since co-ordinating the creation of the UK’s Lighthouse Labs network and delivering one of those labs, based at Alderley Park in Cheshire, MDC has been at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19.
“This partnership with Oncimmune will draw on MDC’s access to nationwide biobanks and supplier networks, helping to unlock invaluable COVID-19 samples for UK biotechs, while also providing expertise in navigating the complex brokering and procurement process for obtaining samples.
“We look forward to working with Oncimmune to broaden our collective intelligence on how the virus exhibits in different patients, subsequently leading to stratified and then more tailored therapeutics according to the varying need, constituting a pivotal shift in the efforts to understand and combat COVID-19.”
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Alcohol Solutions’ Carrington site
Carrington-based Alcohol Solutions, a specialist in drinks development and innovation has reported a 30% increase in enquiries for its canning and bottling facilities over the past week, as the 10pm curfew introduction prompts a surge in demand across all sales channels.
The demand is three-fold: Pubs, bars and restaurants that are fearing the loss of income from reduced trading hours are looking to widen the scope of their offering with a ‘takeaway’ service so people can enjoy a nightcap or two at home. Supermarkets and convenience stores are also stocking up on beverages to cope with increased footfall as more people plan ‘at home’ drinking occasions, and online retailers are gearing up for another wave of panic buying booze ahead of the festive season.
Graham Gibson, co-founder and director at Alcohol Solutions, said: “As a nation we are going to experience a very different kind of Christmas this year. Christmas parties will be virtual, last orders earlier and traditional drinking occasions like markets will be tightly regulated, if not cancelled – all guaranteeing a continuation of the at-home drinking trend.”
Earlier this year, The City of Manchester Distillery announced a £900,000 investment in the creation of Alcohol Solutions’ drinks development and packing centre.
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Cllr Sam Corcoran
Cheshire East Council, with Cheshire West and Chester Council and Warrington Borough Council, has written to the Secretary of State for Health to request additional resources and measures to deal with COVID-19.
The councils have worked together on a detailed document setting out what they feel is necessary to bring the outbreak under control.
It sets out the reasoning behind each measure, what is required from government and what additional resources are required.
The document sets out the case for more resources and measures over the next six months for testing, contact tracing, support for vulnerable people and care homes, support for businesses, work to inform and educate the public, enforcement and support to maintain essential public services, such as waste collection and street cleaning while infection rates are rising and staff are at greater risk.
Cllr Sam Corcoran, leader of Cheshire East Council said: “We are trying to work with government to avoid the need for additional restrictions to be imposed on us.
“People in Warrington are already subject to additional COVID control measures, whereas Cheshire West and Cheshire East are not. However, our requests to government have been agreed by all three local authorities and are supported by Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership. We are also working closely with Cheshire police, who cover all three boroughs.”
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Paul Westwell
The head of Bromleys Solicitors’ corporate and commercial services team has become a business community champion to offer free help to Tameside companies hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Partner Paul Westwell has teamed up with other business leaders from across the borough to take part in a new scheme organised by Tameside Council.
The Tameside Business Resilience Clinic is an initiative which sees experts providing confidential free advice and support to micro-businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises.
It has been set up by business people and the council’s economy, employment and skills team to help firms find solutions to coronavirus-related problems, share ideas and give new insights into issues such as back-to-work policies, health and safety, access to financial support and investment.
The clinic is operating across a range of platforms to make it easy for businesses to access support, including webinars, emails and phone calls by appointment.
Inquiries are submitted to the Business Resilience Clinic through an online contact form and are matched to the relevant expert, including managing directors, human resources professionals, supply managers and accountants in addition to Paul, who is providing corporate and commercial legal advice.
The support also includes signposting to existing resources, such as Business Growth Hub online workshops and government guidance.
Paul specialises in corporate, commercial and property transactions and works closely with members of Bromleys’ commercial and dispute resolution teams. He said: “As a business community champion, I can provide free, business-specific legal advice for anyone using the BRC whose company has had challenges as a result of the pandemic.”
Cllr Oliver Ryan, Tameside Council’s executive member for finance and economic growth, said: “We have some fantastic businesses across our borough and, by providing support like this, we see how integral they are to our local community. We are grateful to all of the business people who have agreed to become business community champions, and we encourage any companies which might need support to get in touch as soon as possible.”
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Julie Mason
PM+M, the chartered accountancy, business advisory and wealth management group, has seen a sharp spike in the demand for its payroll processing and advice services since the start of the COVID-19 crisis.
The firm’s payroll team has reported an 18% increase in turnover when compared with the same six month period last year. In addition to this, the team has also handled more than £3.5m worth of Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme claims since the scheme was launched by the Government earlier this year.
The 10-strong team, which is headed up by Julie Mason, offers a range of payroll support services to in excess of 450 clients operating across the UK. They also work closely with PM+M’s tax, pension and accounting specialists to provide an all-round service to employers.
The news follows the launch of the firm’s bespoke furlough advice function in April. It was created to offer support on the entire furlough process including preparing claims and calculations, making portal submissions and managing HMRC communications.
Julie said: “The last six months has been a massive upheaval for businesses right around the world. The impact of coronavirus has been devastating so our focus has been on helping our clients navigate the challenges they face. The entire team has worked tirelessly to deliver a first-class service and I couldn’t be prouder of their efforts and the value they’ve added.”
